E.R.
Mr Lyon
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RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
cc Mr Holmes
Mr McDonough Mr Hum
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·8 MAY 1986
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DEBATE ON HONG KONG ORDER: OPENING SPEECH
666
You asked for any comments on the draft speech attached to your minute of 30 April.
I offer the following specific points.
Paragraph 4
Ministers need to explain again that the Order has been made to come into force
in 1987 so that passports issued thereafter can be given the normal ten year
period of validity. Passports describing the holders as British Dependent
Territories citizens could not be given a validity beyond 1997. Parliament is
being asked to approve the Order now so as to give adequate time for all the
administrative preparations for the issue of the new documents.
Paragraph 7
I think it will arouse suspicion in Hong Kong, and unduly complicate matters, if
this paragraph does not use exactly the same form of words as was used in the
answer of 23 April and as will appear in the leaflet.
the sentence about not binding future governments.
the point in the winding up speech if necessary.
Paragraph 8
I would therefore omit
That does not rule out making
Delete "and who might be affected" in the first sentence.
Paragraph 14
Although this is primarily a House of Lords point see House of Lords Hansard
for 14 March 1985 - I would add a reference to this provision having been specifically
included in response to concern expressed during the passage of the Act.